How to stitch black leather without staining your thread

[JackAllred93]

So I finished up a small project that I had some scrap leather for and decided to make a lighter cover cause why not. Simple enough right? Afterwards, I cross-stitched it with red thread and my thread looks super dirty and got a lot of the black on it. I even let the stain dry for two days before I stitched it and it still came out pretty dark. I think maybe I got the sequence wrong and I punched the holes BEFORE I stained it and it left some in the holes but even after it sat for two days, when I went to stitch it my fingers turned black. I didn’t go overboard on the stain just enough to cover the material so I am curious what can I do to keep my colored thread from turning black. I can imagine what it would do to white thread but I have seen it done and the black was black and the white was white. I am sure there are many more people in here with more knowledge than me on this so any help would be greatly appreciated! 

[fredk]

Unfortunately black is real stainer.

You suggested one solution that might work; punch holes after staining, but also buffing the heck out of it and using a couple of coats of a sealer

Another idea that sometimes works; use about 4 or 5 times the length of thread you use. The first sections pick up the stain leaving the tail end of the thread to come thru clean

[chuck123wapati]

 What Fred said, plus clean the leftover stain, buff it out really well until there is no rub off and as you said punch your holes after staining.

[Darren8306]

I've had some success with iron acetate stain a.k.a. vinageroon. It's a bit smelly, but colourfast, at least a bit more than my jug of 'coal black' coloured stain.

 

For some reason the first application comes out a silver/grey (like the middle 'cat paw' stamped one lower middle) and there are ways of mitigating the stank. You might want to try a batch.